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nachoqtpie
Deeply Rooted
It's always nice to see new people on the forum! Some stay, some don't. Some come back after long hiatus... ;-)
BAD NACHO!!!
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TheSeedObsesser
Deeply Rooted
Nacho, I read some of your blog and like it, you sound a lot like us!
In the case of the missing eggs, it is very possible that it could be your snake. We have very bad rat problems. (Rats can also steal eggs.) We keep any snake that we find around just to help our rat problem. We've been putting Wormwood? in the nesting boxes to keep the snakes away from them. (I think it was wormwood, could have been something else.) A few of our eggs still go missing, but it's not much and is very much worth it.
We are just getting into selling our homemade soap bars, so that should be exciting. We sell a lot of our eggs (chicken and duck) and they sell like hotcakes! Surprisingly the duck eggs seem to be going faster.
In the case of the missing eggs, it is very possible that it could be your snake. We have very bad rat problems. (Rats can also steal eggs.) We keep any snake that we find around just to help our rat problem. We've been putting Wormwood? in the nesting boxes to keep the snakes away from them. (I think it was wormwood, could have been something else.) A few of our eggs still go missing, but it's not much and is very much worth it.
We are just getting into selling our homemade soap bars, so that should be exciting. We sell a lot of our eggs (chicken and duck) and they sell like hotcakes! Surprisingly the duck eggs seem to be going faster.
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- #13
nachoqtpie
Deeply Rooted
The market here is SO saturated with eggs here. We've all but gotten out of the ducks. We have 3 left. At one point I had about 7 dozen duck eggs and nobody to buy ducklings or eggs, so I was giving them to neighbors for free! Farm fresh eggs sell for around $2.50/dozen. That's not even really enough to cover the cost of feed! It's ridiculous! I'm glad we're allowed to keep chickens in our city (which I live outside of) but people giving their eggs away for such cheap prices make it harder for any body that wants to make a living out of it almost impossible!
I think the "missing" eggs were because of stress, heat, molt, any of those things or more... LOL We did find *A* snake in the coop one time. It was a big one too!! I'm not exactly sure how it got in, but as it was trying to get out I lopped it's head off with a knife. LOL The chickens ate it after that. As far as I know we don't have a problem with mice/rats, but you never know! We live in a more suburban area (in the country.. LOL) and don't seem to really have the same issues as "country" but more issues with "city." IO have been very fortunate tho. Some of my city friends have been talking about hawk attacks, and some of my country friends about fox attacks, one of which lives less than a 3 miles from me. We've not had either of those issues here in the 2 years we've had chickens.
I think the "missing" eggs were because of stress, heat, molt, any of those things or more... LOL We did find *A* snake in the coop one time. It was a big one too!! I'm not exactly sure how it got in, but as it was trying to get out I lopped it's head off with a knife. LOL The chickens ate it after that. As far as I know we don't have a problem with mice/rats, but you never know! We live in a more suburban area (in the country.. LOL) and don't seem to really have the same issues as "country" but more issues with "city." IO have been very fortunate tho. Some of my city friends have been talking about hawk attacks, and some of my country friends about fox attacks, one of which lives less than a 3 miles from me. We've not had either of those issues here in the 2 years we've had chickens.
TheSeedObsesser
Deeply Rooted
It is pretty much impossible to make any profit out of selling eggs. But its possible fr us to sell them, ours go for two dollars a dozen for chicken eggs - three for duck. There are not too many egg sellers out here. So our fairly cheap prices and lack of significant competition could explain how our eggs sell out so fast. We still don't make any profit off of it though, it's still more of a hobby.
We have horrible problems with chicken hawks and coons around here. We have shot a few coons and hawks before. We have smaller insect/hunting species of hawks around here, so it is kind of depressing if we accidentally shoot one of those. Too small to carry off a chicken. Any raccoon shot had rabies and was sitting next to the fence in broad daylight. We have not lost a chicken to a hawk or coon yet. We have four-foot fencing all the way around the pasture and lock up the critters tight at night. We also have a good-sized flock of geese that would take care of any coon that would happen to cross the fence. We've seen a weasel dead on the side of the road so know they are around here. No problems from them or the possums yet. We have only lost one chicken so far and that was an egg-bound old hen. We've probably been doing this for three or four years, so not too far ahead of you.
We have horrible problems with chicken hawks and coons around here. We have shot a few coons and hawks before. We have smaller insect/hunting species of hawks around here, so it is kind of depressing if we accidentally shoot one of those. Too small to carry off a chicken. Any raccoon shot had rabies and was sitting next to the fence in broad daylight. We have not lost a chicken to a hawk or coon yet. We have four-foot fencing all the way around the pasture and lock up the critters tight at night. We also have a good-sized flock of geese that would take care of any coon that would happen to cross the fence. We've seen a weasel dead on the side of the road so know they are around here. No problems from them or the possums yet. We have only lost one chicken so far and that was an egg-bound old hen. We've probably been doing this for three or four years, so not too far ahead of you.
TheSeedObsesser
Deeply Rooted
Oh and also watch out for squirrels and chipmunks. They may look all innocent but they aren't. 
The chipmunk get into the barn and eat the feed. I've seen a grey squirrel run up a tree with one of our goose eggs before! By golly, that critter must have been hungry!
The chipmunk get into the barn and eat the feed. I've seen a grey squirrel run up a tree with one of our goose eggs before! By golly, that critter must have been hungry!
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- #16
nachoqtpie
Deeply Rooted
Our Greyhounds take care of any of the squirrels around here... LOL We've not had any full grown ones die really.
I take that back. We did have a couple juveniles get caught in some nasty mud and get tromped to death. It was very sad. :-(
We got that issue taken care of now tho, so shouldn't ever happen again! Okay! I think I should probably get around and get some stuff done around the house. I've got to go let out my friends animals, they went home for Christmas. (We live in a military town so lots of transient people here!!)
I take that back. We did have a couple juveniles get caught in some nasty mud and get tromped to death. It was very sad. :-(
We got that issue taken care of now tho, so shouldn't ever happen again! Okay! I think I should probably get around and get some stuff done around the house. I've got to go let out my friends animals, they went home for Christmas. (We live in a military town so lots of transient people here!!)
NwMtGardener
Garden Addicted
Nice to catch up with you again Nacho!
Kassaundra
Garden Addicted
Hi, and welcome back, glad things are going well for you.
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- #19
nachoqtpie
Deeply Rooted
Thanks guys! It sure is nice to BE back! 
ninnymary
Garden Master
Welcome back nacho. Glad everything is going well with you. Tell Vfem, we miss here and to stop by sometime. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Mary
Mary
